Improvement in kmittiwg-machiwes



j glides j 'HENRY A. HOUSE, or BRIDGEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, Asesinos 'ro nrMsnLr y Ann FRANKARMSTRCNG, or HAMBURG, Gespann Lenen: Patent No. 101,878, aan@ Apro 12, 1ero.

The-Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making prt of the same ing drawings making part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1, plate 1, is a top view of the improved knitting-machine complete. I

Figure 2, plate 1,-is an elevation of 'the front side olf tiieinachine, with the hand-crank removed from its s la t.

.Figure 3, plate 2, is a, section taken longitudinally and vertically tlirough-thecenterof the main 'portion of the frame, with the inner walls taken away- Figure 4, plate 2, is a section taken transversely through the center of the machine, showing fthe gate in two positions.

Figure 5, plato 2, is la perspectivevicw of theyarn-l 'guide vFigure 6, plato 3, is a section taken horizontally through the machine in the plane or course of the intermediate groove, indicated by dotted line x a: in fig.

3, plate 2. Y v

VFigures 7, plate 3, are vviews showing the construction of the quills and needles.

Figure 8, plate 3, is a perspective view of the ten-v sion-hook used in knitting' the. heel of a stocking.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The improvements which I shall hereinafter explain are especially applicable to the extensible-'fiume yelrnitting-machine, for which I made application for Letters Patent on the 6th day of April,'1869, wherein the needles are arranged and guided so as to travel around inthe pat-h ol a flattened ellipse, and at proper times to rise and descend for receiving the yam and i casting off the loops.

The nature of my inycutiim consists- First, in a provision for adjusting any desired number of the needles with the work upon them, so that these needles shall not take the yarn nor form loops, at vthe same time allowing Athese needles to travel around either to ther-ight or left witlrthose needles which do rform loops, thereby allowing the operation ot' knitting to be conveniently, performed. v

Also, iu a provision for depressing 'certain needles, so that they shall neither carry the work upon them nor take yarn fromthe yamTguide, for the purpose of knittingl ribbed work, employing for this purpose a hinged and stepped gate, which will allow the toes ou the lower ends of thoncedles, which it is desired to drop out of operation, to beI adjusted-.so as to travel in a groove beneath the main working groove, as win be hereinafter explained.

Also, in certain spring switches, combined with grooves in which the toes on the-needles a v.designed to travel, which will allow the needles 'to be moved around either toward the right hand or toward the left hand, for the purpose of knitting the heel portion of a stocking, or other straight or single work.

Also, in the combination with said grooves of a spring latch or a guide, which will allow the needle toes to be adjusted so as to travel in tle highest groove, when it is desired to raise certain needles with the work upon them out of operation, as will be `hereinafter explained.

Also, in the application of each needle to' a groove formed in a narrow quill, so that each needle is n1- Vlowed to receive endwise movements independently of its quill, as will be hereinafter explained.

Also, in a provision for lightening or loosening the stitches by means of avertically-.adj ustahle cam applied.

at the point where the needles are depressed or caused to dip, for the purpose ofcastiug oli' the loops, said cam being arranged so as to operate upon the quills by raising or depressing them, and thereby causing more or less of the yarn beneath the hooks of the needles to be drawn into their upper ends before casting oli the loops, as will be hereinafter explained..

Also, in quills or needle-sheaths, constriicted with slots or notches at or near their lower ends, adapted forl receiving a rib or flange on theframe ot' the machine, for the purpose of preventing these quills or vsheaths from rising-while in operation.

Also, in a vertical gate, constructed as hereinafter described, and applied to the stationary or main frame, which will allow the insertion ofthe needles and their quills into their proper places in theframe of the machine, the removal of the same at pleasure, and also the raising or lowering the needles from orto the highest o'l lowest groove of the frame.

Also, in a horizontal and lateral clampingbar, applied to the frame of the machine, and arranged so as to confinethe adjustable section of said'irame ligidly at anydesired points.

Also, in the employment of certain hooked rods,

connected at the ends opposite their hooks by means of a doubled cord or chain, and adapted for use with the tension-weight for drawing down 'the work equally while knitting a heel, as will be hereinafter.described.

Also, in extending the vertical shaft of the spurwheels, which gear with and move the needles and their sheaths around in their guides, high enough to receive upon its upper end a hand-crank, and in applying such crank so as to turn in a horizontal plane above the needles, and'out of the way of the saine, as will be hereinafter explained. V

i object.

' To enable others skilled in ,the artto understand rnyinveution, I will describe its construction-and operation. l

Thegeneral form of the frame of the machine 'that of a'iattened ellipse. i

This frame is composed of three sections, A B Bl, aud a side bearing-box, A1, iu which latter one of the spur-wheels, a, which moves theneedles'and the shaft a of these wheels, has its bearing.

Below this box A is'a jaw, A2, having a clamp` screw, A3, tapped through it for vconfining the machine lto the I edge of a table' or other established The'main' section A'of the frame consists of two .n parallel sides, .terminating in semicircular ends, one of which'ends is cut away, so as to leave only a thin connecting portion, as shown in figs. 1, 3, 'and 6.

Within this section A are the two sections B B,

l which are ofthe vsame form as thc main section, when taken horizont'allypbut are made somewhat smallerthan this' section, runas-to leave a vertical channel wide enough to 'receive the quills or ueedle-sheaths, as

shown in figs'. l and 4, and allow these quills, with their needles, to be moved around by turningA the spur-wheel shaft al.

' lhe section B is rigidly secured to the outer section A, and grooved horizontally in its 'external sides for receiving thefparallel arms of the movable section B, as shown in g. 6.' f

By means of the screws b b, which 'pass transversely through the arms of section B1, and through oblong slots made through thel sides of section B, the section Bl is connected to B, so that it can be extended or contracted for increasing or--diniinishing the capacity of the machine forreceiving needles.

The head B2, having a semicircular inner surface,

.is rigidly securedto the semicircular end of. section- B, so as to leave between it and this section a space, -which is equal in width and depth.to the space be- ,tween the sections B,B1, ands-A, and to form a continuation of said space, as shoivn in figs. 1 and 6.

The liead B2 is fitted inthe' open end of sectiouA, so as tovslide freely therein, and to rest upon the horizontal Ways c'c of this latter section, and through the back of head B2 a hole -is made,"trans versely through which a'bolt, d, is passed, which also passes through' c bloug horizontal slots, d1,- made through the sides of 4frame-section A, and receives upon one end a clamping-nut, d2.

. The'slotting of haine-section A weakens its sides suiiiciently to allow them to be drawn tightly against the dat sides of the head B2, and the location of said 'slots d1 d1, at or near the middle of the vertical height of the semicircular-portion of this head B, will cause the bolt audits nut to clamp the sides of frame A equally against the head,`so as to hold it rigidly at any point to which it may be adjusted.

By reference to iig. 4, plate 2, it will be seen that I employ, for Vmoving the quills and their needles around in their channel, two spur-wheels, a a, one of .which is arranged in ga horizontal plane just above the ways c, and works through a slot made through one side of frame sectionA, and the other is arranged in a plane just below the plane of tl1e upper edge of said frame scticn, and works in a depression made -into said e ge.

The veiti al shaft al of the spur-wheels (a a is extended above -the top of .dame-section A high enough to receive upon its upper end a crank-arm', a, on.

which is al hand-knob,l a, 'by which the operator can with one hand conveniently turn the shaft al.. By this arrangement of the driving-shaft and hand-y crank, inte ediate gearing is dispensed with, and power applied 'directly to the said shaft.

Directly opposite tlie shaft al a narrow slot is made vertically through the fmme-section A, extending to the ways c, and in this slot is fitted agate, @which is hinged at its lowcr end, and acted upon by a spring,

lines, and openin dotted lines. When it is shut, it completely fills the space' formed for its reception, and when it is open the quills; with their needles, can be readily removed, one at a time, from their channel, or introduced one at a time'into this channel. Said gate, with its fs'p will be hereiuafteiycxplained. j

-In the innergsurface of Athe-'sectionv Aare three main j grooves, either vone of which is' adapted for rcceiving the angular protrudingtoes e on the needles e, as shownin iig, 4, plate 2, and, in the -inner semicircular surface of the adjustable head B, there are also threegrooves made, corresponding to and registering with their respective grooves in the sides of the frame section A,-

in fig. 3, and'around the inner surface` of the head B, the grooves g'gl g2 are. parallel'to the horizontal ways c c, but from said latch f to a corresponding point on grooves are curved, as sho'wn in figs. 3 and 4.

The highest groove g -iscontinuous except at the point4 where the latch ffornis the lower side of it, and into this groove the toes eof the needlesare adjusted, when it is vdesired to raise a certain number of needles out of action with the vwork upon them, during the operation of knitting the heel of a stocking by' means of a certain number of needles whose' toes traversein the intermediate groove g. To adjust the toes of which latch will recede 'and allow the .needle-'toes'` to tion with the work upon"it eration of forming a heel.

The groove g2 is also continuous to produce ribbed work, by having certain needles in the chain or series which do not take'the yarn, and which'do not can'y work upon them.

.The needles, while in the groove g, cross thc space which is formed on the inper surface of this gate, in a plane with the base of said groove, as shown in tig. 4.

There are three 'steps ou this gate, corresponding to the three grooves, and two of ,these steps are beveled other groove. v

In raising the needles at this gate b'y a hooked tool used foi-,the purpose, the spring u will allow the gate to open slightly, until a needle-toe has passed a step, i, when said spring will shut the Ygate again, and leave the needle in thcdesired position. In this way,needles whose toes are in-V the lowermost groove g2 can be groove g1.A

The intermedia switch-grooves, s sf, cnrved'so'as to give the required from the yamlgnide G, and to cast ofi' the loops;

lWo curved switch grooves are used for adapting themachiue to work right and left; and, in order to eiie'ct this object successfully, beveled spring switches, 'fr r", are arranged as shown in figs. 2, 4, and 6, one of which will direct the needle-toes into the proper groove,

to pass around into the proper switch-groove. c

from the upper edge of this sectiondown to or nearlyy o', applied so as to hold the gate. either open or shut. In fig. 4, plate 2, the gate c is represented shut in full ring; also" serves another purpose, which From a verticall plane intersectipga latch, j', shown the opposite side of thcframe section A,the said' needles from the groove g1 into groove g, the needles are dr'awuup at the point where latch f is located,

pass over'it, but prevent them from passing back-again yinthe same way. One needle ata time, from-fetich" end of arowo needles, can be thus raisedout-ofacduring the narrowing op- *4 or unbroken, except at the 'hinged gate v, end into this v'groove the toes e' on the needles are adjusted, when it-isdesired" filled by the gate r by means of .a bridge or step, i,

under, so as to allow'needles brought against the gate 1 to be raised from any one of the grooves into any raised, so as to bring their toes into the intermediate te groove 'gie'ads' into two short vertical movpments to' the needles, to receive yarn while the other will yield, and allow the needle-toes into the switch-groove s' to cast cti' the loops of the course last formed.

In figs.- 3 and 4 the curved foian of the groove g" and itsswitcb-grooves s .s' is clearly shown.

A'lfhe switchesrjl are acted vupon by springs,t t,

which valso 'act-upon double latches, h h, 'as shownin. ,fgs. 2, 3, and 6. These latches h h will allowthe needle-toes to pasirup'ifrom a switch-groove' into the main groovc, in rising'from a switch-groove after the needles haveic'ast `oii"the loops of v the course last formed, but vneither of said latches hl h willv allow 4the needle-toes to pass into'a switch-groove before the needles receive the yarn from the yarn-guide, and from new stitches.

Directly beneath the grooves which give vertical movements to the needles, and inserted into a recess formed by cutting away a portion ot the ,ways c, is 'a vertically-adjustable semicircular cam, D, the upper edge of which is waved, as shown in figs. 3 and-4, and adapted for supporting the quills o'r needlesheaths as they pass aronndover it.l

f-Each needle-quill or. sheath, E, consists tudinally-slottd angular rod, which. has eitsexternal The thumb-screw` D is used for adjusting this camplate, as shown in iig. 3. The Aobject of this adjustable cam is toregulate the tightness of the stitches, by changing the relative positionsof the upper ends vof the qnills'with respect to the hooked ends of the needles, as will be shown after I have explained the construction of the quills and their uses.

At two points, k k, this sheath is notched, to re- Y ceive into it the tecthof the twowheels a a, and in the lower notch a short pin, la', is fastened,l to engage with the teeth on the'lower spur-wheela. The shank of the needle e engages with the upper -spnrwheel a at the upper notch la. Just below the upper notch thcsides of the sheath are closed about the needle e,

' so as to keep it in place, but allow it to move up and down freely in the sheath. "lhe sheath of each needle should be somewhat longer than the needle which it incluses, so that, in casting off the'f loops, the hookedf cnd of the needle may be drawn more or -less withinA its sheath, according to the degree lof tightness or looseness required forthe stitches. r

The lower ends of the sheaths may be constructed with toes on them, as indicated by the dotted lines in one of the views of gs.' 7, for the purpose of working under andfbeing held down by a groove, which may dowxtupon the ways c at Ithe point where the sheaths applied'to the sheath, but I may use ,the bearded nee` dies, as they successively pass around. This guide is are most liable to rise from said ways. -I prefer to provide for holding the sbeaths down positively at all points in their travel, either by the toe and a contin nous groove, or by a'rih and notch, as above stated.

l? construct thesheaths with scores, j, in them, for the purpose of aiording suiiicient playlaterally to the needles, to allow their toes to be readily adjusted from the slot gl into the slot g, past the latch f.

I have represented the well-known latch-needlese dles in their stead.

' G represents the yarn-guide, for guiding the yarn on its way from the spool or yarn-carrier to the neeformed uponone' end of a shank, which is secured of the trame-section A, and which maybe made vertln'ough which the binding-screws pass, oblong.

This guide is curved, as shown in figs. 3 and 5, and

eye, n.

0n each side -ot this eye a wing, n','may beformed, it desirable, such wings being curved and inclined, and serving to keep the latches of the needles 'om closing before their hooks take the yarn, whether the left.

My guide G I-constructout cfa dat piece of metal, and-cut the eyes and slot in it before bending the plate into its curved form. The slotted portion is shown, so as to afford room for the-operators fingers, in holding open thc latches-of the needles, if the wings a' are not used or fail to perform their duty. The bow form enables me to provide two guidingeyes, and, consequently, an additional bearing for the yarn. At the same time, all the advantages of a single eye, intersected by a kerf, are secured.

In practice, I-intend attaching the frame which carries the reel or spool and tension-device to the framesection A;` and, for this purpose, the lugs o are cast on the end of this frame, as lshown in figs, 1 and 2.

In fig. 8, I have represented three hooked rods, J' J J, connected together by means of a cord, J', from which depends the tension-weight for drawing down thc work. These hooks are used during the opera-- Ation of knit-ting the heel of a stocking, and. are attached -at three diiicrcnt points to the work, so as to allow the weight to draw it down equally from these points of attachment.

-I-t will bc seen, from the above description, that cach `needle-sheath is acted upon by two spur-wheels; that these spur-wheels are applied directly to a shaft, carrying the hand-crank; that the needle-sheaths can bemovcd toward the right hand, just as well as toward the left hand; and that the stitches can be made tighter or looser\by a single adjustment of a camplate, over which the necdle-sheaths pass while the needles receive yarn and cast od' loops.

Itwill also he seen that needle-shcaths and needles can bef quickly applied to or removed from the frame of the machine through a side opening, provided with a gate; that the needles can be adjusted into or out of operation at pleasure, with the work on or oi of them; end that any one or more of the needle-sheaths can be removed tiom the machine, and the machine adjusted so that those needles which are left therein can be operated. 1

By reference to tig. 1, plate 1, itwill be seen thata portionpf the upper edge of frame-section Ais marked from five to twenty-hva. This is 4done for the purpose of readily counting the number of needles which it maybe desired to have in working position.

Having described my invention,"

What l claim as new, anddesire to secure by Let- .ters Patent, isfl 1. The groove g, in combination with the main working-groove g and latch f, or its equivalent, substantally as and for the purposes described.

2. The grooves g?, in combination with the mainl working groove and the gate c, the latter being constructed and arranged substantially as described. 3. The switches rr and latches h h, in-combinastantially as and for the pulposes described.

4. A' grooved needle-sheath, E, constructed substantially as described.

5. A neecllc-`slieath or quilh'E, in combination in a vertical centralpositiou -to the sem'icircular end tically adjustable, if desired ,by making the holes slotted at l, the slot terminating at each end in an needlesare moved towardnthe right hand orthe bent, after the punching-operation, into the bow form ot' in inches and fractions of inches, and numbered tion with the groove g and switch-grooves s s, sub- 10. The combination, with V,the `.needles and -sheaths.of the upright eranklsha a', provided .with l with a. knitting-needle, when both are allowed verticalmovements independent of each other during Ithe yoperation of knitting, substantially as deseribed. f

, 6. The quills or Vsheaths E, notched at k, substantinlly as described. v

"7. The clamping-bar l and nut d, in combination .with the name-section A and adjustable head B2, substantiallyas described. f'

8. Thevertieally-swinging gate @,'uotched o stepped, i as speeied, in combination with the grooved 'franef section A, substantially as'deseribe'd.. Y 9. 'The sections A B Bl end'gete fu, combined and nnstructedsubstantiallyasdescribed.A '-1 spur-wheels a a, then said spur-wheels engage -direetly-withl the needles and their` sheaths, substantially as described.

1 llf'lhencombination of-jthe djus-teble' cams D double cord J ,and 'adapted to pemte' substantially 

